Roseburg High School junior Cassidy Smith named Miss Douglas County Outstanding Teen

MICHAEL SULLIVAN/The News-Review
Miss Douglas County Outstanding Teen Cassidy Smith acknowledges the audience after performing a piano piece at the Miss Douglas County Pageant at Umpqua Community College Saturday.

“It’s very bold and very eruptive,” Sebastian said. Smith performed a second time for the audience at the Miss Douglas County pageant Saturday night.

First runner-up Friday was Marisa Twarowski, a Roseburg High School freshman. She also won Miss Congeniality. Her platform was the March of Dimes, in honor of her little sister Mary Beth, who was born prematurely in 2011 at 2 pounds, 15 ounces, with a condition that required multiple surgeries at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Joseph Lane Middle School eighth-grader Jasmine Dancer turned 13 the day of the pageant. She received the Build Your Own Scholarship award for collecting the most money from sponsors of the event.

Sebastian said the combined total scholarships awarded at the teen and miss pageants was $45,000, exceeding last year’s total. Douglas County contestants last year raised more scholarship money than did contestants in any other county in the nation. Sebastian said she hopes that will be true again this year.

Sebastian said the teens also gain confidence participating in the program.

“These young ladies go out and present themselves well,” she said.

Unlike some pageants, the Miss Outstanding Teen program requires no money to participate. Many of this year’s teens could not afford clothes for the event, but were provided gowns and shoes.

“We have more than 200 gowns for the girls to choose from,” Sebastian said.